Wendell Barnhouse is a nationally-known and respected columnist who has spent over 20 years covering collegiate athletics. He has reported from 25 Final Fours and more than three dozen bowl games and has written about the Big 12 and its schools since the conference's beginning. Barnhouse will be updating the Big 12 Insider on happenings and behind-the-scenes information about the conference.

By Wendell Barnhouse
| wendell@big12sports.com
Big12Sports.com CorrespondentLUBBOCK, Texas - There will be much talk and
speculation headed into the season about Texas Tech's defense. Last season, the
Red Raiders were ... well, here's coach Tommy Tuberville's assessment.

"Last
year, we couldn't stop anybody - run or pass," he said.

The
numbers bear that out. After a stunning upset of Oklahoma, Texas Tech lost six
of its last seven games. Twice the Red Raiders allowed 66 points and over the
last five games, they gave up 259 points.

Art Kaufman has been hired as the team's defensive
coordinator (the fourth in the last four seasons). Tuberville believes that his
team's defensive talent and depth is improved. He points out that the team
finally has six linebackers and that it's much closer to have the 30 players he
feels is necessary to play against the Big 12's explosive attacks.

"Last year we had about 15 guys," he said.

The players who experienced last season's melt down are
ready to atone for what happened. They're convinced that they'll be better and
will help the Red Raiders be a surprise team.

"It motivates me, because if somebody tells you you're the
weak link, you're going to accept that as a challenge and step up,'' junior
linebacker Terrance Bullitt said. "You don't want to be the weak link of the
team. People are probably tired of hearing us talk about it, so fall camp can't
start soon enough.

"In time, people will see. We can only go up.''

While the defense was a major reason for the late-season
collapse that ended Texas Tech's string of 16 consecutive seasons with a
winning record, another factor contributed to the skid.

Before suffering a major knee injury against Texas A&M,
running back Eric Stephens was on pace for a 1,000-yard season. In his first
two seasons, Tuberville has sought to balance the Red Raiders' offense with at
least 40 percent of the production coming from the running game.

Without a productive runner, Texas Tech had to rely more on
quarterback Seth Doege (4,004 yards passing, 28 touchdowns). The Red Raiders'
offense was potent but the reliance on the passing game lengthened games and
kept Texas Tech from helping its defense by controlling the football and the
clock with more running plays.

Putting It On The Line
During the last two years, Texas Tech's logo should have been borrowed from the
Red Cross. Injuries have sidelined key players on both sides of the ball as the
Red Raiders have gone 13-12 in coach Tommy Tuberville's first two seasons.

The offensive line has been one position that
has avoided the injury bug. In 2010 four starters played every game and the
fifth starter missed just two games. Last season, three starters made it
through every game while another missed just one.

Anchored by senior tackle LaAdrian Waddle, a first team
All-Big 12 preseason selection, the offensive line should be a strength.
However, staying healthy will again be important as depth and experience is
limited. The 10-player two-deep chart lists four seniors and four redshirt
freshmen.

"I feel good about our first six or so," Tech
offensive coordinator Neal Brown told the Lubbock
Avalanche-Journal. "It's kind of a different deal, because I feel good
about our seniors and I feel good about our redshirt freshmen, but we don't
have a whole lot in between."

Short Yardage* Michael Starts, a highly touted defensive lineman, spent the first two days of
practice at defensive end but was then moved to defensive tackle. Tuberville
would prefer the 6-4, 300-pound freshman to sit out this season as a red shirt
but improving the depth and talent on the defensive line is a high priority. "I
like his spunk," Tuberville said. "He jumped in and went after some of the
offensive linemen today. He went by brute strength, not a lot of technique, and
that's what we've got to work on."

* Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville is calling freshman
defensive tackle Anthony Smith "Crash." The 5-10, 310-pound Smith missed some
practice time after suffering a sprained ankle in a scooter accident. Last
spring, sophomore defensive back Austin Stewart received notoriety when his
scooter was hit by a bus on campus near Jones AT&T Stadium. "I would think the ones that are on (scooters)
hopefully would use common sense," Tuberville said. "And if you're 320 pounds,
you don't get on a scooter. You get in a car."

* Sophomore running back DeAndre Washington is
trying to come back from knee surgery that curtailed his 2011 season. He lost
about 25 pounds and has recently got back to his playing weight of 190. "Right
now, it's about 90 percent," said Washington, who underwent his knee operation
on Dec. 14. "I've been doing a lot of lateral movement, a lot of cutting. It's
really now about trusting your knee and building confidence."

* Texas Tech held a scrimmage Saturday night. Tuberville
said it will give the coaching staff a chance to assess where the team is at
after a week or so of practice. Also, Tuberville expects to start really
grinding during practice Monday now that summer school has wrapped up.

* Tuberville announced Saturday that redshirt
freshman offensive tackle Matt Wilson will miss the season after undergoing ACL
surgery. His ACL was partially torn last spring but team doctors thought he
might be able to continue playing but the injury worsened recently. Wilson was
listed as the team's second-team right tackle.